Endless Night
by Eternalight
Summary: After Azula tracks Zuko and Iroh down in an small Earth Kingdom town, ready to turn Iroh over to Ozai, Zuko goes in his place. Where he begins doubting Iroh's love for him. -Contains Zuko angst!-


_This is a song fiction based on the Lion King Broadway's song called "Endless Night." I thought it fit so well, and I had to write something up right away! Before anyone asks PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU CONTINUE ON._ _**THIS IS AN AU**, that takes place during the middle of the second season. In which, Iroh is Zuko's father, and Azula captures him before "Bitter Work". I don't want any shipping flames or anything. _

_This is a very DARK AU that came from my brain, and it contains A WHOLE lot of Zuko abuse, if you get woozy when it comes to that, please shut your eyes! ;P But don't worry, I suck when it comes to acutally writing things in detail, so I don't think you guys will be rilling back in sickness, or nothing. Just enjoy!! 3 And remember, COMMENTS ARE LOVE._

_(Avatar ain't mine. Won't be mine. It's Bryke's and Nick's. :D)_

_--_

_**Where has the starlight gone?  
Dark is the day  
How can I find my way home?**_

He stood silently and listened to the voices, as they softly discussed with one another how they would decide his fate. He was bound and chained; two guards were holding him at arm's length, in case he got any sudden ideas of escaping. He is standing on a Fire Nation ship that was sailing on the seas to the capital. His sister looked over at him, and grinned.

"Take him below captain."

"As you wish your highness."

He was quickly shoved into the steps that lead to the bottom of the ship's interior, far past the sleeping quarters, into the very last, empty room, on the Princess' ship. A single small lit candle was the only thing stopping from the darkness overtaking the metal room. He could barely see the wooden post in the middle. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light, or lack thereof. More quickly then he could prevent, he was thrown at the post, and locked chest front with cold, icy metal chains around his feet and legs.

_Just what does Azula have planned for me?_ He shrugged at the thought, he knew his sister all too well. Before journeying back to the Fire Nation, he would be put through unspeakable torture, only the best for "dear Zuzu." Why should she bring him to Ozai alive, when it would far more enjoyable to have him dead at her father's feet? He shut his eyes tightly, his mind focusing only on his home and father.

_**Home is an empty dream  
Lost to the night  
Father, I feel so alone**_

_Home…home? No, I'm not going home._ The Fire Nation was never his home, and Ozai was never his father. He thought back to three months ago when his world was turned upside. After the victory of the Northern Water Tribe, he and Iroh had been hiding from Princess Azula in the Earth Kingdom. For a while, everything had been going fine, even though he didn't always enjoy living among commoners. But that changed when Iroh, his supposed uncle, had come out and told him about the love between himself and Princess Ursa. Everything he had _thought _he knew for so long was a lie.

He winched suddenly, remembering his words when Iroh had told him the truth, Y_ou will __never__ be my father!!_ and yet, somehow he grew to accept it; he had no troubles anymore. No Avatar, no more regaining the honor of his father...he was happy. Things were actually looking up for once. Until the time came where Azula tracked their location, and threatened to turn Iroh over to the Firelord for treason.

In a selfless move to prevent Iroh from suffering Ozai's wrath, which he was curtain that the Firelord would more than happy to give to his treacherous brother, he put his own life on the line for his sake. Angrily, ordering Azula to take him in Iroh's place. A loud metal door opened behind him, causing him to snap back to the present. Speak of the devil.

"Well, well Zuzu. Your capture was easier then I imagined! I thought you'd at least _try_ to struggle. You must be so weak without your precious daddy beside to help you!"

_**You promised you'd be there  
Whenever I needed you  
**__**Whenever I call your name  
You're not anywhere **_

His eyes narrowed in anger, but he reminded silent. That bothered Azula, she wanted to watch her brother crack, watch him scream and beg for mercy. A smile graced her lips, as her hands lit up with blue flames. She knew the perfect way._ Two birds with one stone…_

"I wouldn't stand there and wait for help anytime soon, Zuzu. No one is going to save you. Your father has forgotten about you."

His eyes grew wide at her words. What was she talking about? Iroh would come for him, he had to. He wouldn't want his son to suffer.

"He no longer cares, you have caused him so much pain in his life, he's ready you to be rid of you. If he honestly cared for you, he would have been here already, and you two would have been home safely."

"You're--" His words were caught in his throat, stopping him from speaking out. For a sharp pain sliced his back, causing him to scream out. She started to whip him with firebending, breaking his skin and forcing blood to slip from his wounds.

"Trust me Zuzu. You're a failure in his eyes, just a replacement for Lu Ten! He wants you dead!"

Her words hurt him more than all the whip marks and blood that were now destroying his back. Somewhere in his mind, he believed her. Iroh had not yet come for him, and it had been nearly two days since Azula had took him captured in the Earth Kingdom town. It felt so wrong; so long ago Iroh had told him on his own Fire Nation ship during his quest for the Avatar,

"No matter what becomes of us in the future, my nephew. I will never let anything happen to you. I will always be there when you need me."

If she was wrong about him, then why wasn't Iroh there? Why has he not found him yet? Stopped Azula, and saved him from all this? His eyes shut close, struggling to keep his tears back. "H--He will come for me..." was all that escaped his lips.

"Idiot! How can you keep clinging onto false hope! Admit it! You will die before we reach the Fire Nation, brother! Father will want it that way!!" She cackled as she struck him again, his back painted crimson red with fallen blood.

_**I'm trying to hold on  
Just waiting to hear your voice  
One word; just a word will do  
To end this nightmare**_

All the pain was overwhelming him; his body was threatening to shut down at anytime. And Azula could see this; it only made her more inspired to whip him more and more. His eyes glanced upwards, he wanted to speak out, shout, cry, and yell out in sadness for Iroh not being there. _Why won't you come for me!? Why have you left me to die, father?! Please!! Don't leave me here alone!!_ He gave in; it no longer mattered if Azula saw him. He cried, and hot, salty trails ran from his eyes. He accepted that Iroh wasn't coming, and he would never see him again. Everything hurt so much.

"Say hello to mother for me Zuko!!"

As she prepared to give another blow, loud crashes and the screams of her men met her ears, causing her to stop in annoyance. She headed to the stairs, fist clinched and flaming. She slammed the door open and screamed loudly.

"Whoever decided to interrupt me, his punishment will be his head!!"

Her eyes glanced about and widened in anger and shock, her men was scattered throughout the hallway, unmoving and their bodies burned. Before she was able to find the cause of this madness, Azula was met with a fire blast that was in the shape of a powerful dragon, causing her to be knocked off her feet and sent down below at the speed of a great Airbender. Slamming into a metal wall, she was knocked unconscious, and did not awaken.

"Zuko? ZUKO!"

He heard the screams from the darkness. He would know that voice anywhere.

"Fa--Father--?"

All his torture had weakened him so much; and Iroh did not know how he managed to hear him say his name. He rushed over to his son's side, and gasped at his condition. Azula had cut open his back from her whipping. It was burned and beaten from the fire, and was now pure red from all the blood that had dripped down from his wounds. His wrists and legs were bruised from all the chains, and his chest had splinters and open cuts from the wooden post.

Iroh quickly undid his bonds, and immediately he fell into Iroh's arms, groaning out in pain. Iroh put his arms around his son in comfort, bringing him into an embrace that he longed for from his father.

"You...You…came…for me…you came.…"

Tears ran down the boy's face in happiness as he cried on Iroh's shoulder, Azula was lying. Iroh _was_ searching for him all along. And he came for him. He did not leave him to die in pain. Hearing those whispered words, Iroh tightened the grip on his son, never wanting to let go. Tears fell from the older man's eyes onto his dark hair.

"From the moment Azula captured you, I swore that I would not stop searching until I had found you and brought you back home."

Iroh reached down and scooped Zuko into his arms, gently carrying him out of the darkness and into the sunlight once more. Zuko winched at light, he was down there longer then he thought, and that very darkness almost took hold of him.

He looked down and saw what was left of Azula's crew, he was shocked, but it touched him deeply. Iroh wanted to save him, and he did not care who got in his way of doing so. He looked up at his father with soft eyes, as Iroh reached down and kissed his forehead. That was all it took to convince Zuko that everything was okay. He closed his eyes with a smile on his face. The nightmare was finally over, and they were finally going home.

_**I know that the night must end  
I know that the sun will rise  
And I'll hear your voice deep inside**_  
_**The sun  
The sun will rise**_


End file.
